Inconsistency comes with inexperience, and Duke had its fair share of that last season.
This year, though, the Blue Devils are ready to turn the page.
A six-game losing streak was punctuated by an ugly 21-16 loss against Army, which nearly threatened Duke’s chances at bowl eligibility. Battling high winds at West Point, quarterback Daniel Jones threw for only 164 yards and an interception as the Black Knights got off to a 21-3 lead they would not relinquish.
Now, a more experienced Blue Devils squad is ready to make a season-opening statement against Army Friday night at 7 p.m. in Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke returns nearly all its wide receivers and tight ends, as well as the majority of its defense in a season filled with high expectations.
“We’re looking forward to it. We’re aware of their success last year,” Jones said. “[We] certainly want to get this first one.”
Offensively, the one major question mark comes at the offensive line, a position that the Blue Devils struggled with last season. In the 2017 matchup, the Black Knights were able to confuse Duke by bringing pressure from unexpected places, as junior defensive back Elijah Riley contributed a sack and a half as well as an interception. It may not get any easier, as Cutcliffe’s squad will have to replace three starters, including both offensive tackles.
Against a ball controlling team such as Army, the Blue Devils know that they will need to string together long, sustained drives to give their defense a rest. To do so, they will be relying on the duo of Jones and redshirt sophomore running back Brittain Brown to keep the aggressive Black Knight defense off balance.
“The thing that pops into everyone’s mind is the defense,” Cutcliffe said. “If you go out there and go three-and-out offensively, that’s playing right into their hands. We stayed on the field a year ago offensively, we just didn’t produce as many points as we would’ve liked.”
This summer, Jones and the rest of the Duke offense have had a lot of practice against a unit that surrendered just over 20 points per game last season. The Blue Devils only lost three starters and boast two preseason All-Americans in linebacker Joe Giles-Harris and cornerback Mark Gilbert.
Giles-Harris—who racked up 10 tackles a year ago—should benefit this time around from playing next to fellow three-year starter Ben Humphreys, who missed last year’s contest while battling injuries. Backup middle linebacker Koby Quansah stood in admirably, registering a team-high 13 tackles, but the chemistry the two defensive captains have will be much needed against Army’s complicated attack.
Gilbert, on the other hand, led the ACC in interceptions and solidified his spot as Duke’s shutdown player last season. The second cornerback position is still an ongoing battle between redshirt freshman Josh Blackwell and converted safety Michael Carter II.
Besides the second cornerback position, nearly everything else seems to be set for the talented Blue Devil secondary. But perhaps Jones is most excited about another part of the defense—one he wishes he probably did not have to deal with as much in the offseason.
“One of the things that jumps out to me is the push rush. We’ve got a really strong pass rush with good ends, good inside players, “ Jones said. “An ability to add an extra guy or bring someone off the edge too, is an exciting thing for our defense.”
With four straight impressive recruiting classes, Duke may be fielding its most talented squad when it takes the field for the season opener.
And that comes with its expectations.
“We have no excuses as coaches because [the players] have really done everything we’ve asked them to do,” Cutcliffe said. “We have some ability, but I don’t know many teams around the country that have the ability alone to win football games.”
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